Serving transgender and gender-nonconforming youth and young adults: Community-based approaches to restorative justice and harm reduction

Chicago’s transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) population, particularly TGNC people of color, are among the most vulnerable. Unstable housing and joblessness are among the top stressors for these young people. Access to resources is limited in their communities due to stigma associated with TGNC identities. The goal of this presentation is to demonstrate how two organizations are seeking to provide support to these vulnerable youth and young adults by increasing access to basic services and demonstrating ways mental health services become integrated in community settings. Attendees will learn about the frameworks used to develop these programs including restorative justice, harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and a nonhierarchical, client-led approach. Attendees will learn about community activism from two perspectives: (1) ongoing commitment to social justice in an existing organization, and (2) development of a new organization based on community need.